So, everyone can give a complete exhale that two save-category standard bearers were not shut down with shoulder problems. Craig Kimbrel and Koji Ueharaboth threw bullpens yesterday, and are all systems go for the rest of the week. Not like any of you have them, because we don’t and shouldn’t overpay for saves on draft day. So if either of these guys fell to ya, good on ya and relax, and stop checking the waiver wire for half a tick. Kimbrel is the tits, regardless of setbacks, his numbers say so, and you should walk around telling people the such as well. Kenley is nice, has all the check marks: winning team, K’s, and the large drink to boot. I just can’t, with good faith, de-commit from Kimbrel unless he actually hits the DL. So with the sighs of relief I hear, let’s touch on some more of this weeks hap’s and slaps. Shall we?

Jim Johnson was shown the door to figure his bullpen hiccups early last week. Since then, he has thrown 5 scoreless innings, actually notching 2 relief victories. Gregerson and the like have done an okay job, but given 2-3 more appearances with consistency from Johnson, he will be closing again before the showers turn to flowers.

Every week I seem to here Joakim Soriabeing mentioned like Rocky Marciano in Coming to America. Well, I am here to tell you the numbers he is chucking up there don’t merit anything. DERA is bloated, team barely gets him in save situations. If you can sell him by name, then you have my permission, no hall pass or note from mom needed.

Next week will have the return of two Marry type closers in Casey Janssenand David Robertson. Each will be jumping back in situations that may be different. Robertson is the closer and Kelley goes back to setting up no questions asked. Janssen, I am not so sure that Santos doesn’t hold the gate open for him until he gets some quality innings. So hold Santos when Janssen comes back, as he may be facing the mudville 9 in the 8th for a few.

Don’t know how many Pirate devotees we have out there, but I am liking what I am seeing from Jason Grilli. Velocity seems to be tight, and the K’s are coming. Only thing is, with most returnees, the control is a little bit wonky. So if you see a chance to nab him on the cheap via trade, he is the guy I would try for.

Francisco Rodriguez and the entire Milwaukee bullpen is basically on fire. He has some of the best numbers on the year as a collective group; Lowest BAA, lowest ERA. I don’t think the ‘muppet master’ can do anything right now to pitch his way back in there with the way the team is rolling, so he is a continue-to-hold until further notice type of guy.

Marry

What’s better than having the comfort of having a great stand-by at home? Nothing. It helps you, it lives for you and gosh darn’it, you can do with it as you please, under the jurisdictions of the law. It’s got a nice pre-kids body and a penchant for baking. So we have the roster stalwarts that you want to have and hold for this season forward.

These guys are fun, and maybe some day you’ll want to marry them, but right now they have their flaws and you’re not sure if you wanna take them home to mom. So you give them the special booty-call ring designation on your phone, and you get everything that marriage can’t give you. Stats are the important thing here, and lots of them, no obligations. No alimony attached, just straight unadulterated stats.

Should be self-explanatory. There is no comfort in this grouping, along with the fear of looking suspicious when buying a new shovel and some lyme when all that you wanna do is plant a new butterfly bush. The jib? The newly injured replacements are here or just they’re just the unproven. All should be laid to rest, unless desperation or injury becomes you. Don’t get comfy, death or stat-suicide may be closer than it appears.

@Lord Black Beard, Head of the the House of Beard: Perkins doesn’t have 2 guys behind him that could step in. Balfour has looked great minus the walks, 2 more weeks of sustainability from Grant and he will be in the same neighborhood as Perk. Can’t go wrong either way.

Seems like RP have a greater value than SP in this format because even waiver wire set up men tend to have a better ERA, WHIP, K/9, and S+H than middle round pitchers. Should I stick with a more common looking rotation like I have now?

Or Would you recommend trading away Teherehan and Ventura for example to upgrade hitting and replacing them with relief pitchers who have SP eligibility that can get S+H and help in the ratios like Rondon and Ogando?

@WachaWacha: I wouldn’t trade Teheran, could float Salavar or Ventura, returns may be limited, but I am all for trying anything to make your team better. K/9 is dominated by relief pitchers because of the limit on innings and maximization of K’s. If they pitch one inning they usually get at least 1 or the good ones do.

@Smokey: There is a DL spot but I cant add without clearing a bench spot first.

I can try to wait it out, but its a points league that counts holds and I know Janssen will be scooped up soon. Add that to Frieri costing me the win last week (lost by 1 point!) and you can see why im eager to move

@pistole pete: I would hold him there as long as you can until forced with an option that you cant shift around parts anymore. Hisd setback should only a week to 10 days I am guessing so be patient for now.

weird spot, Grey says one thing, Scott another, want to see your take. in 20 team keep forever with K per 9/holds/saves/RW/QS. I can only have 12 pitchers at any time (5 that qualify at SP, and 7 at RP), with starters are currently
darvish/m.perez/w.peralta/erlin/scheppers
RP: santos/melancon/soria/cotts/ogando/Kelley/adams (PHI, thinking he’ll get setup over Bastardo and dropped parra for him, as Parra is only moving backwards with marshall coming back soon).
question is should I replace Scheppers as starter for Cosart/beckett (LA)/oberholtzer long term? Scott says for Cosart, Grey says keep Scheppers. if I do grab cosart who’s the drop (i.e. weakest RP scheppers (he’ll go back soon almost for sure)/Kelley/ogando). i’m pretty sure none of the other 5 are the drops here.

@goodfold2: can I just say Oberholtzer and totally confuse the heck of stuff. lol. I wouldn’t trust Beckett to walk my dog right now, so I will say Cosart, though I am an Oberholtzer owner in 3 leagues with 20,18 and 28 teams so I am secretly rooting for him.

@Smokey: so at least we’ve ruled out beckett at all. that’s a step. whichever cosart/oberholtzer i go with i’m guessing scheppers is the drop. (man this TEX bullpen could be a mess when scheppers goes back there)

@Smokey: yep, got lucky with scheppers hitting DL. but unlucky that i picked up Cosart for what now is the worst start of the year by anybody, 7 earned 1 out. Good news is this was in a H2H league and i was already losing era/whip pretty badly anyway, and losses are not a cat.i’ll now move on to ober/beckett/hammel (just dropped)

1) I used a 3 waiver priority to from Gregerson for Nelson Cruz a 2nd UTIL/bench bat which I don’t have many as usual and I snagged Springer as my UTIL/Bench bat ad have Perkins Cosek Rpdriguez as closers with Janseen on DL

2) I have Strop in a league and Rendon in a league, whose is the closer? Committee?

3) I pretty much accumulated 3-4 closers through FA and draft as a smart person should, would you snag Hanrahan or German?

Would you lose Frieri for Hunter or ist it kind of a lateral move? I mean i like Frieris K potential but the guy is a ticking time bomb. He either strikes out the side or gives up two homers in less than an inning.

@Smokey: The only guy i could afford to lose would be Sergio Santos but i have a soft spot for this guy and love his K Potential. No one strikes out the side with so much authority. I actually hope for him to hold onto the closing job even when Janssen comes back from the DL.

Anyway, right now I’m rolling with Ozuna but available dudes are:
Gyorko, Seager, Khris Davis, Lind, Castellanos, would you switch out Ozuna for any of these or go with a ride the hot hand type of thing and stick with Ozuna until he cools off?

Santos and Delabar were extremely wild tonight. Santos had three wild pitches and walked in a run. I own both in a very deep 16 team mixed roto league that counts holds and saves. Alarm bells going off?

As a guy who is rostering Matt Lindstrom & Josh Fields (have Chapman on DL) in a 15 team league, I’m desperate for saves. Any 8th inning guys worth grabbing and dropping Fields, that have a chance to be closer soon?

I’ve been reading through your posts lately, contemplating adding several awesome middle relievers to help my ratios. We have 180 GS limit, I’m already at like 27 starts in a 12 team std 5×5 roto league. My ERA and WHIP are destroying me… I’m in last place so far even though my offensive stats are decent. I’m not saying I have no faith in my pitching staff, but they have certainly got off to a rough start.

Quoting you, “Well I would rather have a great set-up guy compared to a “Kill” closer. Allen, Carpenter, Gregerson, Benoit and C Mart should be owned in everything but 8 team leagues. Lindstrom and Fields should be owned as save getters.”

I grabbed C-Mart and fields because he was still out there, but your comment was referring to a SV and Holds league. Would you still grab these guys (or other nice Middle Relievers) and hold off on starting most of my pitchers for a bit unless they have great matchups? No one else in the league has an ERA over 4 and I’m at about 4.50…. Atrocious.

@Pope: definitely grab 1-2 quality Rp with good ratios and shuffle in when you have space. It helps. I usually roster at least 2 non save Rp at all time. Good luck. If you wanna give me a list of guys you’re considering feel free.

@Smokey: Thanks Smoke, many of the teams in this league have the guys you were listing (Allen, Carpenter, Gregerson, Benoit), so I’m looking at guys like Delabar, Tazawa, Ogando, Andrew Miller, Alburquerque, W. Smith, Herrera, Furbush? I don’t know man, this is new to me, I’m mainly sorting by innings pitched and K/9 to start. Any ideas you have would be awesome.

@SheriffMcRawDawg: I do, but it may be after a second rehashing of Jones and near the end of the season. Or if Lindstrom keeps sucking and Jones isn’t ready to return I could see him getting a few looks.

I have Kimball, Reed, Balfour and Hunter as my RP’s. Losing confidence in Reed coupled with Diamondbacks not in many win situations. Hawkins and Johnson are free agents in our league with teams stocked with the best of the RP’s. Woudl you switch Reed for Hawkins or Johnson and who would be your first choice. Thanks.